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Red maple
Habit (mature) · Ftlombardo / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Limited coverage
Red maple
Acer rubrum
The most widely distributed deciduous tree in eastern North America and one of the few that thrives across a 7,000-foot elevation range from Newfoundland to Florida. Earliest spring bloom of any eastern hardwood (January-March in NC) gives early-emerging bees their first nectar source; brilliant red fall color is the species's headline, but the timing varies tree-to-tree — making cultivars with named selections ('October Glory', 'Red Sunset') the reliable design choice for guaranteed display.
Native: 34 US states + 6 CA provinces
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: broad (94/100)
Focal point
Structure
Light
Full sun / Part shade
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
480-1440" tall · 360" apart
Hardy in zones
2a-9b
brutally cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Cool-Hot
cool to hot summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
Yes
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A documented larval host for the Cecropia moth and 3 other species — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.
Wildlife relationships
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
✓
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Where this plant fits
Suitable across 41 ecoregions — 40 climate-resilient through 2070 · 1 suited today. Best matches first.
Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests
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Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests
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Arizona Mountains forests
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Atlantic coastal pine barrens
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Blue Mountains forests
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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands
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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests
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Central Tallgrass prairie
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Central-Southern Cascades Forests
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Chilean Matorral
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Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Red maple (Acer rubrum). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/red-maple
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
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Lifecycle
Regional guidance
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Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY 3.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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